Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

This bottled brew poured a medium sized head of off-white colored fine to medium sized mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a transparent carbonated dark orange brown colored body and a good lacing. The aroma contained mild malt and caramel notes. The mouth feel was tingly from start to finish with a smooth caramel malt hop flavor. All-in-all its a pretty good brew.

An amber ale with a thin light moka head. A lightly cloying aroma of buttery malt, vinous notes, light spices, not bad. In mouth, a nice sweet biscuitty malt with smooth hops, juniper, warming alcohol, nicer than expected, nicely aged. 09 vintage on tap at MacGregors, July 31 2010.

Pours a copper color with a good head and some lace. The aroma is a good clean maltiness with some spices and apple. The flavor is spicy cinnamon with a clean maltiness and a nice hoppy bitterness.

12oz bottle. Pours a clear, amber-orange colored body with a finger-width, creamy, off-white head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing throughout. Aroma is sweet caramels and gingerbread cookies, bready fruit-cake, and a dash of cinnamon. Some florals and a light amount of other spices. Flavor is similar with a bit more spice. Sweet caramel and gingerbread cookies again with some fruit-cake and florals. Cinnamon and nutmeg stand out along with a bit more ginger. Finishes dry and spicy with a nice sweetness as well as a light, earthy bitterness that leaves a moderate aftertaste. Medium, smooth body with a moderate, creamy carbonation. Just a hint of alcohol warmth that fits this well. Overall, a very nice Christmas Ale. Well balanced and easy drinking with a pleasant spicing. Solid.

12oz traded bottle. Am I the only person that swears this had cherry flavours to. Not that is was bad, I actually enjoyed it, but I swear I tasted some tart and sweet notes from fruit.

Pour is a slightly hazy orange with a darker brown/red up near the top. Head is offwhite and filmy, resting on the top of the beer and not dissipating. Aroma is at first sweet, candied fruit, caramel malt, gingerbread, then fades to a nicely spiced pumpkin, and nutmeg. Mouthfeel is medium. Flavor initially hits with sticky, fruity maltiness, this resounds through the whole drink. An abundance of cinnamon, nutmeg, lead up to a bit of pumpkin vegetable and finish with some more sticky bready malt. A twinge of alcohol can be felt, but it isnt overwhelming. Nice

A- Medium red/brown body that looks similar to a dark red ale. Foamy white head that has great retention at 1/2 finger. Body is transparent. S- Nose is light and dominated by cinnamon and honey. Ginger and other warn spices are noted in the background along with a slight hoppiness. T- Initial taste is very brassy and metallic. Cinnamon and other spices are noticeable in the background but the honey almost disappears. Finish is quite clean and a slight metallic bitterness lingers on the palate. P- Medium carbonation and medium weight body. Nice and easy to swallow but nothing remarkable. O-1. It was easy to finish in a short amount of time and I probably could have consumed more of it. 2. I would have never guessed the ABV was so high because there is no hint of that anywhere in the smell/taste/mouthfeel. Other than that-this is an above average winter warmer that I will probably have again before the season is over but it was nothing that impressed me too much. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 11-06-2007 06:00:24

Slight spicy aroma (could be more) with spicy brown ale flavor. Clean finish. Decent...

Pours amber orange with off white head. Aroma is spices of cinnamon and nutmeg with a nice sweet fruit touch. Flavor starts sweet and finishes bitter. Solid stuff.